Fluid-cooling apparatus.



No. 877,520. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. 1f. SGHMALTZ.

FLUID COOLING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 18.1905.

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PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. P. SCHMALTZ.

FLUID COOLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 18, 1905. 6 SHEBTS SHEET 2' No. 877,520. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. P. SGHMALTZ.

FLUID COOLING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 1B. 1905.

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No. 877,520. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. P. SCHMALTZ.

FLUID COOLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. 1905.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

No. 877,520. PATENTED JANfZS, 1908.

` f P. SGHMALTZ.

FLUID COOLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. 1905.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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PAUL SCHMALTZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE LA VERGNE MACHINE COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK,.N. Y., A CORPORATION OF .NEW YORK.

FLU'ID-COOLINiGj APPARATUS.

'specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. as, 1908.

Application led November- 18. 1905. Serial No. 287,949.

To all, whom it may concern: f

Be it known that I, PAUL SoHMALTz, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at borough of the Bronx, city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Fluid-Cooling Apparatus,

of which the following is a specification, vreference being had therein to the accomo Myin'vention has for its objects simplicity of construction and effectiveness of operation andeconomy both in plant and maintenanoe. Other objects of my invention will appear from the following description of apparatus embodying my invention. j

My invention includes means for chan ing the direction of movement of a body o air without the formation of .eddies or countercurrents therein and with a desired distribution or with a substantially uniform distribution ofthe air when deflected to the desired y.

direction of movement, and also more specifically with a reduction of the speed of the movement of the air in its final direction of movement, permitting airto be forced or drawnv into the apparatus through a comparatively small inlet and then deflected upward or 'in the desireddirection and distributed Vthroughout a cooling chamber of large cross-sectional area so as to flow therein .lio

I will take place between the, liquid and the at reduced speed in substantial parallelism to the walls of the chamber or to cooling.

surfaces therein.

My invention also includes the provision .of a cooling chamber or tower, with means for causing a liquid to flow downward therein and for causing air to ilo'w in another direction therein so that an interchange of heat air; combined with various improvements in the construction and comb1nat1on of parts.

My' invention also includes various improvements in the construction and combination of parts generally applicable to .means for cooling fluids andv specifically combined with apparatus such as above referred to.

I will now describe the constructions shown in the accompanying drawings4 and embody- `ing my invention and will thereafter point out my'invention in claims. I

Figure .1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an air drying tower embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same, takenon a plane'indicated by the line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same taken on a plane indicated bythe line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isy an enlarged vertical longitudinal section, medially broken away, of the lower part of the tower and the air-deilector therein. Fig. 5' is a detail front elevation of one of the deflectorplates. Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of a portion ofthe waterconveying screens and the baffle-plates thereon. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on a plane indicated by the line 7--7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section of an air cooling chamber embodying my invention. Fig. 9

section of the same.

The object of the' construction shown in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, is to extract moisture from air so as to reduce the amount of moisis a horizontal section and Fig. 10 a vertical i ture therein 'to a predetermined constant.y

tion is performed in a closed structure pref- `erably of Agreater vertical than horizontal dimensions and in which the air is caused to y flow u ward and which may therefore be termedp a tower, although only of moderate hei ht. This air drying tower is provided Wit an air inlet conduit a at its lower end, at the entrance of which is located a lblower'b, which drives the air throughthe conduit and into the lower part of the tower. TThe inlet conduit lflares outward horizontally as it approaches the tower so that the air spreads out laterally to the full width of the tower. A At the-lower art of the air drying tower, in alinement with the air inlet opening, a deflector for the inflowing air is provided, this dellector comprising a plurality of deedges to the inflowing'air from the blower at different heights so as to divide the incoming l air into vlayers which are received between adjacent dei'lector-plates. The lower horizontal -portions of the deilector-plates are also provided with inclined or water-shedding surfaces leading to a plurality of water-discharging depressions at diHerent portions of the lengths of the plates so as to discharge the water which falls upon them only at predetermined points throughout their lengths, thus preventing the formation of a veil of downiiowing water such as would prevent the iiow of air to points remote from the inlet. Each dei'lector-plate c also has an easy curvature starting from the horizontal direction and terminating in nearly vertical direction, the curvature passing yhowever slightly Ibeyond the vertical to more effectually de- ;iiect upward the forcefully horizontally driven yair, and each plate terminating in a vertical lupper portion; and these defiector-plates separately effect the upward deflection of the layers of air' flowing between them without the formation of eddies or counter-currents and with substantial uniformity throughout the length and width of the tower. They also effect a reduction of the speed of the air and an equal distribution of the air flowing at reduced speed, it being noted that the 4plates are at their front or air-receiving portions closer together vertically or'in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the inflowing air, than at their upper or terminal portions horizontally or in a direction transverse to the vertically upward final direction of movement of the air as it passes from the deflector up into the cooling tower. The separate layers of air are thus separately spread out into a greater width proportionate to the increased cross-section of the tower as compared with the rcross-section of the inlet to the tower, and delivered equally distributed at the desired slow rate of speed for movement up the tower and in contact withthe cooling surfaces thereof.

To compensate for the greater travel of the air which passes to the parts of the tower at greatest distances from the inlet opening, the defiector-plates are differentially: spaced vertically at their air-receiving portions and are separatedl or spaced at increasing vertical distances ,as their distance from the air inlet increases, while the horizontal distances between the plates at their upper or terminal portions are substantially uniform throughout the. length of the tower. it may be said that theplates most remote from the inlet receive a thicker layer of air than those in closest proximity to the inlet.

This dierential vertical spacing of the defiector-plates may howeverbe varied to suit the requirements of each structure embodying the invention and provision for such variation or adjustment is made in the manner of supporting the plates. Each plate is sup'- Thus portediat ea'ch end by hooks c shown` as riveted thereto and passing over supporting studs d projecting inward .from a linked side-frame consistingof a pluraity of sidebars d, these side-bars being pivotally con;l

nected together by pins e which also receive supporting hooks e. The supporting hooks are secured' at the lower ends of supporting chains f and the chains are supported at their upper ends by hooks f depending from side beams g, these side beams forming part of.

Owing to the pivotal adjustment permitted by the "hooks c and the studs d the defiectorplates may be maintained in their proper angular positions, with their lower portions horizontal and their upper portions vertical, regardless of the changes in the inclination of the side bars d incidental to their adjustment to vary the vertical relations of the deflector-plates to eachother, and thus the spacing of the deiiector-plates may be adjusted without displacing'them angularly from their positions of greatest efficiency.'-

Within the air drying tower above the deflector the heatl abstracting or cooling means'are provided and consist primarily of suspended 4open-work screens fi, preferablyj4 of wire netting, which are constantly supplied with a coolin fiuid such as artificial cooled water whic their surfaces. These screens i are suspended from separate Watersupply pipes or troughs h and extend from such troughs downward through the tower, terminating just above the deflector. At intervals inthe height of these screens bafilelates are provided,

y flows downward overv y each consisting of a lig t angle-bar arranged withv its sides sloping downward and outward and terminating in proximity to the screens but so as to leave a small opening between each angle-bar edge and the screenvl adjacent thereto.

to the angle-bars and to the screens and are .arranged at suitable intervals in-i the width of the tower. The angle-'straps servefto maintain the screens properly spaced in relation to each other and to the angle-bars. These angle-bar baffle-plates change the These an le-bars are provided vwith angle-straps y, w vich are secured direction of the flow of the air which is between the screens and lead ,it into ,contact with the cooling fluid on the screens and also temporarily acceleratel its movement, assurflows downward ture approaching as nearly as practicable its freezing point by means of a refrigerating coil 7c, whichmay be directly` cooled by the expansion of ammonia therein, and which is shown as located at the base of the tower. A receiving tank l just below the airfdeflector catches all the liquid which flows downward through the tower and from this tank thewater flows into distributing pipes or troughs` m from which it flows downward over the refrigerating pipes 7c and into a receptacle n at the bottom of the tower and from this receptaclen it is pum ed by suitable pumping means, shown as t e rotary'punip o., through ipes'o and o2 to areservoir p at the top of t e tower. V it passes downward through the pipe q into a longitudinal ipe 1' provided .with a plurality of nipples wfiereby the water is discl'iarged into t e separate troughs h, from which it over the heat-abstracting screens t'. t

At the top of the tower additional cooling chambers are provided comprising a chamber arranged medially of the length of the tower between the partitions s and lsand two end chambers formed res ectively between the partition s and a wall)of the tower and the partition s and a wall of the tower, the partitions s and s having large openings at their Within these chambers are provided refrigerating coils t which are shown as connected in the same system with the refrigerating coils at the base of the tower. Separate outlets u and u are provided from the end chambers into a dry-air conduit fv and each outlet is provided with la'valvefor. damper o whereby the flow of air through it may be arrested so that the air from the tower may be led either y to one or the other or both of the end chambers as may be desired and either end chamber may be temporarily put out of use to melt any `frost which may have formed upon its pi es. i

` t will be seen that the refrigerating coils t l are so connected that the refrigerant may be caused to How first through the coils in either end chamber and then through the coils in the middle chamber or only through the coils in either end chamber or in any other manner desired, the middle chamber preferably', how

ever, receiving the refrigerant which has first passed through anvend chamber so that its temperature will not be as low as that ofthe coils in the end chambers and the formation of frost upon it a negligible factor.

In the operation of the device, the drying- I `romthisreservoir p spray-catchers.

of the air wnl be principally effected by its contact with the cooling fluid flowing down the vertical screens in the tower, and the moisture condensed and preci itated from `the air will be commingled wit the cooling' fluid and will flow tothe receiving tank. The air will flow into the chambers at the top of the tower reduced to a temperature approaching that of the freezing point of water and carrying with it only the very small percentage of moisture which will exist in air thus cooled. This percentage of moisture will uniformly be the maximum small percentage capable of existing in air at the temperature to which the air has been cooled andthus the air will be delivered from the tower with a uniformsmall percentage of moisture. refrigerating coils in the upper chambers may or may not be used, but should it be desired to further lower the temperature of the air they will effectively perform` this 'operation. l

The object of vthe construction shown in Figs. 8,- 9 and 10 is to cool air for use in theaters or for other purposes. Incidentally to the cooling `operation thereis a precipitation of moisture and consequent drying of the air. vThe structure here shown is an elongated horizontal chamber, which may be located in the cellar of the building to be cooled. An inlet conduit w has a blower w located therein and opens into the cooling chamber at the side thereof, and ay deflector for the infiowing air is provided comprising a plurality of deiiector-plates :c vertically arranged withl portions in substantial paraltheir edges to-the inflowing air and having an easy curvature terminating in portions extending in the direction of the length of the cooling chamber, this deflector effecting the uniform distribution of the inflowing air and its entrance into the cooling chamber with a direction of movement parallel to the length of the cooling chamber. The cooling screens y are vertically and longitudinally arranged. Additional crossscreensy are provided at the ends of the longitudinal cooling screens to screen the air and'act as The' refrigerating coils 2 for the cooling fluid are here shown as located directly above the screens and the cooling water flows from a reservoir z into a distributing pipe or trough l', from which it flows upon the refrigerating coils 2; and from the refrigerating coils 2 it fallsupon the screens and flows down overthe screens, performing its heat-abstracting function, and finally drops within the receiving tank 3, from which it is lifted by the pump 4 to the reservoir ai. The air after it passes the screens flows upward through the outlet opening 5 to the room or building to be cooled.

It is obvious that various modifications The may be made in the constructions shown and above particularly'described Within the princontaining parallel cooling screens, an air lnlet therefor, means for causing airto iow into' the chamber through such inlet at an angle to the desired direction of movement of the air through the chamber, a deiiector arranged obliquely relatively to the direction y of movement of the iniiowing air and the desired direction of movement of the air through the chamber comprising a plurality of deliector-plates arranged. to divide the inflowing air ilto vlayers entering between them and to deflect the air to the direction of thedesired movement ofthe air in the chamber, and means for adjusting the position of the deflector.'

2. The combination of an air chamber, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to iow into the chamber through such inlet at an angle to the desired direction of movement of the air through the chamber, a deflector comprising a pluralityT of defiectorplates carried by a flexible frame having a plurality of supporting points, and means for adjustably supporting such frame.

i 3. The combinationof'a single air chamber containingparallel cooling screens, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to How into the chamber through such inlet at an langle to the desired directionrof movement of the air through the chamber, a deilector arranged obliquely relatively to the direction of movement of the iniiowing air and the desired direction of movement of the air through the chamber and comprising a plurality of deflector-plates arranged to divide the inflowing air into layers entering between them an'd curved to deiect the air to the direction of the desired movement of the air in the chamber, and means for adjusting the position of the deflector. i

4. The combination of an air chamber, an air inlet therefor, means' for causing air to flow into the chamber through such inlet at an angle to the desired direction-of movement of the air through the chamber, adefiector comprising a'plurality of' curved deflector plates carried by' a flexible frame having a plurality of supporting points, and means for adjustably supporting such frame.

5. The combination of an air chamber containing parallel cooling screens, 4an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to flow into the chamber through such mlet at an angle tothe desired direction of movement of the ranged to divide the iniowing air into layers entering between them and curved to deflect the air to the direction of the desired movement of the air in the chamber, the defiectorplates having air-receiving portions extending 'substantially in the general direction of the movement of the iniiowing air and the deiiector-plates terminating in portions extending substantially in the general direction of the desired movement of the air in the chamber.

6. The .combination of a single cooling chamber having a plurality of cooling surfaces therein spaced apart for the flow of airbetween them, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to flow into the chamber through such inlet at an angle to thecooling surfaces in the chamber, and a deiiector interposed in the path of the iniiowing air between the cooling surfaces and the inlet and comprising a plurality of deflector-plates arranged to divide the inflowing air into layers entering between them and curved to deiiect the air to -the general direction of the cooling surfaces inthe cooling chamber.

7. The combination of a cooling chamber having a plurality of cooling surfaces therein spaced apart for the flow of air between them, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to flow into the chamber through such inlet at an' angle'to the cooling surfaces in the chamber, and a plurality of curved defiector- -plates interposed in the path of the inilowing' air and arranged to divide the inflowing air into layers entering between them, the deiiector-plates having air-receiving portions extending substantially in the direction of the movement ofthe inliowing air and the deflector-plates terminating in portions extending substantially in the direction of the cooling surfaces in the cooling chamber.

8. The combination of a coolingchamber having a plurality of cooling surfaces therein spaced apart for the flow of air between them, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to fiow into the chamber through such inlet at an angle to-the cooling surfaces in the chamber, and a deflector interposed in the path of the inflowing air and comprising a plurality of deflector-plates arranged to d1#` vide the intiowing air into layers entering between them and curved to deflect the air to the general direction of the cooling surfaces in the cooling chamber, the deflector-plates having air-receiving portions extending substantially in the direction of the movement' of the inflowing air and the defiector-plates terminating in portions extending substantially in'the direction of the cooling surfaces in thecooling chamber.

9. The combination of a cooling. chamber having a plurality of cooling surfaces therein spaced apart for the flow of airlbetween'them, means for causing air lto flow between and 1n Contact withV the cooling surfaces, and baffleplates interposed in the passage between the cooling surfaces whereby the air passages are Iso temporarily restricted and the air is redistributed.

. 10. The combination of a cooling tower having a plurality of surfaces therein spaced apart for the iow of air between them, means forcausing a liquid to iiow downward over such surfaces and for causing air to flow upward between and in contact'with the liquidsupplied surfaces, and spray-catching baflieplates interposed in the air passages between the liquid-.supplied surfaces.

1. The combination of a cooling chamber having a plurality of -openwork vscreens therein arranged in substantial parallelism to the direction of movement ofthe air in such chamber and spaced apart for the flow'of air between them, and bai-plates interposed in the passages between the cooling surfaces whereby the air passages are temporarily restricted and the air is redistributed.

12. The combination of a cooling tower having a plurality of openwork screens therein arranged in substantial parallelism to the. direction of movement of the air in the tower and spaced apar-,t for the flow of air between them, means for causing va liquid to flow downward over such screens and for causing air to flow upward between and in contact with the liquid-supplied surfaces thereof, and spray-catching baffle-plates interposed in the passages between the screens. 13. A cooling tower having a w`et cooling ,i chamber therein and having a dry cooling ,chamber .above the wet cooling chamber and having additional dry cooling chambers combined with means for causing air to flow upward through the wet cooling chamber and thereafter through the first mentioned dry cooling chamber and thereafter through less than the whole number of additional dry cooling chambers.

ing chambers.

15. A cooling tower combined with means for causing a liquid to flow downward.

therein, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to fiow into the tower through such inlet at an angle to the desired direction of the movement of the air throughv the tower, and defiector-plates interposed in the path of the inflowing air and arranged to divide the infiowing air into layers entering between them and shaped so as to' deflect the air to thedesiredl direction of movement of the air in the tower, the defiector-plates being provided with water-shedding surfaces leading to a plurality ofWater-disch'arging depressions located at different portions of the ,lengths of the plates.

16. A cooling towercombined with means for causing a liquid to fiow downward therein, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to fiow into the tower through such the desired direction of movement of the air in, the tower, the deflector-plates being provided with water-shedding surfaces leading to a plurality of water-discharging depressions located at different portions of the lengths of thefplates.

17. The combination of an air chamber containing parallel cooling screens, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to fiow into the chamber through such inlet at an angle to the desired direction of movement of the air through the chamber, a deflector arranged obliquely relatively to the direction of movement of the inflowing air and the desired direction of movement of the air through the chamber and comprising a plurality of deflector-plates arranged to divide the iniiowing air into layers entering between them and curved to defiect the air to the direction of the desired movement of the .air in the clia1nber,the defiector-plates having air-receiving portions extending substantially in the direction of the movement of the air f entering between them 'and the deflectorplates terminating in portions extending substantially in the desired final direction of movement of the air, and means for adjusting the position of the deflector.

18. The combination of an air chamber, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to flow into the chamber through such inlet at an angle to the'desired direction of movement of the air through the chamber, a deflector comprising a plurality of deflectorplates arranged to divide the inflowing air into layers entering between them and curved to deflect the air to the directlon of the desired movement of the air in the chaml ber, the deiector-plates having alr-receivmg portions extending substantially in the general direction. of the movement of the inowing air and terminating in portions extending substantially in the general direction of the desired movement of the air in the chamber, the deiiector-plates being carried by a flexible frame having a plurality of supporting points, and means for adjustably supporting such frame. ,Y

19. A cooling tower combined with means llO lao

for causing a li uid to flow downward therein, an air inlet therefor, means for causing air to ilowinto the tower through s ucli inlet at an angle to the desired direction of the movement of the air through the tower, and deflector-plates interposed in the path of the inlowing air and arranged. to dividethe iiiiiowing air into layers entering between them and curvedl to deflect the air to the direction of the desired movement of the air in the tower, the deflector plates having air receiving portions extending substantially in the general direction of the movement of the inflowing air and the deflector-plates terminating in portions extending substantially in the general direction of the desired movement of the air in the clianibei and the deflector plates being provided withA watershedding surfaces leading to a plurality of airdischarging depressions located at different portions of the lengths of the plates.

20. A cooling tower combined with means for causing a liquid to flow downward therein, an air inlet therefor7 means for causing air to flow in to'the tower through such inlet at an angle to the desired direction of the movement of the air through the tower,l and a deflector arranged obliquely relatively to the direction of' movement of the inilowing air and the desired direction of movement of the air through the tower and comprising a plurality of deilector-plates arranged to divide the inflowing air into layers entering between them and curved to de'liect the air to the `desired direction of movement of the air in the tower, the deflector-plates having air-receiving portions extending substantially in the general direction of the movement of the inilowing air and the deflector-plates terminating in portions extending substantially in the general direction of the desired movement of the air in the tower and the deilectorplates being provided with watershedding surfaces leading to a plurality of water-discharging depressions located at diiferent portions of the-lengths of the plates, substan tially as shown and described. v

21. Means for changing the direction of a current of air comprising a series of deflectorplates arranged across the path of the air,` and means for varying the distances between 4 the deflector-plates without changing their angular rel ation'to the air current. 22. Means for changing the direction of a current of air comprising a series of deflectorplates arranged across the -path of the air,

supporting members for the plates, means for angular position, regardless of the position ofv the supporting members.

23. Fluid cooling apparatus having, in combination, an air-cooling chamber provided witli cooling surfaces, and baffle plates in the air passages adjacent to the cooling surfaces and closely restricting the air currents at their edges to the cooling surfaces.

24. Means for changing the direction of a current of air comprising a deflectlor consist- 'ing of a series of deflector lates of substantially equal widthand simi ar form arranged with unobstructed spac'es between them and `with their initial and terminal edges respectively lying substantiallyin the same planes, the deflector 'as a whole being arranged obliquely across the path of the air se that the plates are individually inclined to the direction of motion of the entering air and receive'and deliver the air in planes inclined to its direction of motion,

In testimony .whereof I have afhxed my signature in presence of two witnesses.-

PAUL SCHMALTZ.

Witnesses HENRY BARNES, (-)Tro PAUL. g 

